The Tennessee Titans made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason on Wednesday afternoon by agreeing to a deal with free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
According to multiple reports, the Titans agreed to a deal with Ridley worth $92 million over four years with $50 million in guaranteed money.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2024
Sources: The #Titans are signing #Jaguars star WR Calvin Ridley, completing their FA with a splash. A stunner!!
The 29-year old Ridley gets a 4-year, $92M deal with $50M fully guaranteed on a contract negotiated by @DavidMulugheta and Reza Hesam of @AthletesFirst. pic.twitter.com/GcKaDQ79RL
The majority of Titans fans, at least based on social media reactions, were immediately thrilled with the move. Ridley returned to the NFL in 2023 after a one year suspension (for sports betting) and had a terrific year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, catching 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.
Opposing fans, however, suggested that Tennessee "overpaid" for Ridley, noting that the former Alabama standout will turn 30 years old in December.
(Maybe it's true that the Titans "overpaid", but sometimes that's what you have to do to land talented players....they're hardly alone in ponying up serious cash to sign a top free agent. And if anything, the franchise should be praised for taking a big swing.)
The national media took the overpay narrative a step further by taking the Titans to task for trading wide receiver AJ Brown, who is three years younger than Ridley, to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 (instead of giving him a new contract) and then signing an older Ridley to a deal that's just slightly cheaper (by $8 million) than the one Brown received from Philly.
The Titans wouldn’t pay AJ Brown big money — drafted total bust Treylon Burks to replace him — & just gave Calvin Ridley, an older & less accomplished WR, basically the same deal they refused to give Brown. Vintage Titans. Screw up & then panic & overpay to cover up the screw up.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 13, 2024
The Titans traded A.J. Brown because they didn’t want to give him a 4-year, $100M contract.
— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) March 13, 2024
And less than two years later, they give Calvin Ridley a 4-year, $92M contract.
Woof.
Titans refused to give 24 y/o AJ Brown 4 years and $100M
— Josh Larky (@jlarkytweets) March 13, 2024
But they were okay giving 30 y/o Calvin Ridley 4 years and $92M ??? https://t.co/Ti4CNuqm5t
Talk about uniformed.
The Brown fiasco, which everyone can agree was a unwise move on the Titans' part, happened under the previous front office in Nashville.
And it's arguably the main reason why former Titans general manager Jon Robinson was fired near the end of the 2022 season.
Current Titans general manager Ran Carthon was the director of player personnel for the San Francisco 49ers when Robinson shockingly traded Brown to the Eagles. Carthon had zero to do with Brown's exit from Nashville.
I'm sure Carthon would love to have Brown in a Titans uniform. Who wouldn't want a player as talented as Brown on the roster (outside of Jon Robinson)?
But what's done is done. Carthon didn't inherit a team with Brown on the roster -- he inherited a team with needs at wide receiver. And he addressed that need via free agency by signing the top available wide receiver. This move has nothing to do with Brown or the deal that went down in 2022. Instead, it's all about 2024 and beyond for the Titans.
Don't let the national media fool you. The Titans aren't trying to save face over the Brown trade by signing Ridley. And the front office isn't "clueless" because Brown was traded two years ago and Ridley was signed to a lucrative deal in free agency. Robinson made a bad move and it very likely cost him his job. That era of Titans football, however, is over.
MEMO TO NFL NATIONAL MEDIA:
— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) March 13, 2024
The #Titans fired the GM & HC who were involved in trading A.J. Brown 2 years ago.
A new GM & HC are the ones who paid Calvin Ridley $92M and are also changing the offense to advance beyond the 1990’s.
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Simply put, it's a lazy and recklessly irresponsible narrative from the national media.
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